Nursing bottle holder



March 9, 1965 e. o. FRIEDRICHS 3,172,631

NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Oct. 51, 1962 INVENTOR GORDON D. FRIEDRICH 5 BY dfd/d ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,172,631 NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Gordon D. Friedrichs, 3162 Frontenac Court NE, Atlanta, Ga. Filed Oct. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 234,336 Claims. (Cl. 248-407) This invention relates to holders for baby bottles, and more particularly to a holder for supporting a babys nursing bottle in feeding position above a baby in a prone position.

The bottle feeding of babies is time consuming. As a result, many devices have been devised for feeding babies without the constant attention of the mother. Since it is customary to bottle feed babies in a prone position, these devices have positioned the nursing bottle either beside or above the babys head as the baby rests in a prone position. The latter position of the bottle is the more natural feeding position for the bottle and most of the previous devices have been arranged for positioning the bottle above the head of a baby in a prone position.

However, with some of these previous devices for positioning a bottle above a babys head, it is diflicult to insert the bottle into the device and remove it from the device. Moreover, many of these previous devices for positioning a bottle above a babys head do not hold the bottle firmly when it is inserted and almost all of them are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture.

in addition, these previous devices for feeding babies without constant attention characteristically position the bottle above the babys head in such a manner that it is diflicult for the baby to remove the nipple from its mouth. This is dangerous and accounts for the rejection of these devices in favor of those positioning the bottle in the less natural position beside the babys head.

T he device described herein completely eliminates these difilculties which are associated with previous devices for feeding babies without constant attention. It holds the bottle in the most natural position above the babys head, but the baby may easily move the bottle toward and away from its mouth. Thus, it avoids the dangers inherent in rmly positioning the bottle over a babys head and in its mouth. However, the device does position the bottle with respect to a baby in the proper position for feeding and firmly enough so that the baby is not required to actually hold the bottle itself. in addition, the new and improved device described herein permits the easy insertion and removal of the bottle while at the same time securely holding the bottle when it is inserted. Moreover, the device provides a support for the bottle before and after feeding which is convenient and which prevents the bottle from slipping, tipping over or marring furniture. Also it is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all figures and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the nursing bottle holder.

FIGURE 2 is a back elevation view showing the nursing bottle holder as it appears from that end toward which the bottom of the baby bottle is inserted.

FIGURE 3 is a top plane view of the nursing bottle holder.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of the nursing bottle holder with a baby bottle positioned within it.

These figures and the following detailed description disclose a preferred specific embodiment of the invention, but the invention is not limited to the details disclosed since it may be embodied in other equivalent forms.

The nursing bottle holder is formed with a single piece of wire-like material having resilency. It has been Patented Mar. 9, 1%65 found that the conventional wire coat hanger is made of material suitable for use in forming the nursing bottle holder 10. The nursing bottle holder 10 is most easily understood by considering it to be comprised of an inverted, more or less V-shaped rear loop 11 having the ends of its legs 12 and 13 joined to or continuous with the ends of the legs 14 and 15 of an inverted, more or less V-shaped front loop 16 and having a hook member 17 extending from its apex 18. The leg 12 of the rear loop 11 and the leg 14 of the front loop 16 together form the right arm 19 of the bottle holder 10. Similarly, the leg 13 of the rear loop 11 and the leg 15 of the front loop 16 form the left arm 20 of the bottle holder 10. Thus, the bottle holder It] has the apex 18 of the rear loop 11 with hook member 17 and the apex 21 of front loop 16 positioned between a right arm 19 and a left arm 20.

It is the portion of the rear loop 11 at and adjacent to its apex 18, the portion of front loop 16 at and adjacent to its apex 21, and the hook member 17 which are used to position a baby bottle 22 in the bottle holder 10 with its length extending between the right arm 19 and left arm 2% of the bottle holder 10. The legs 14 and 15 of front loop 16 are bent away from the legs 12 and 13 of the rear loop 11 so that a gap or space is formed between the apex 18 of the rear loop 11 and the apex 21 of the front loop 16. This bending of the front loop 16 away from the rear loop 11 is most pronounced in the portion of the front loop 15 adjacent to its apex 21. As a result, this portion will bend downward as well as outward with the front loop 16 as a whole when pressure is applied at the apex 21.

The gap between apex 18 of the rear loop 11 and the apex 21 of the front loop 16 permits the insertion of the bottom 23 of the baby bottle 22 between the apex 18 and the apex 21 by simply spreading apex 18 and apex 21 further apart with the baby bottle 22 and sliding the baby bottle between apex 18 and apex 21. Since the apex 18 and apex 21 are spread further apart with the insertion of the baby bottle 22, the resiliency of the wirelike material used in the bottle holder 10 will cause the baby bottle 22 to be gripped between the rear loop 11 and the front loop 16.

Once the baby bottle 22 has been inserted between rear loop 11 and front loop 16, the baby bottle 22 is rotated under the apex 18 of the rear loop 11 and against the apex 21 of the front loop 16. This rotation is continued until the centerline of the baby bottle 22 extending from the bottom 23 to the nipple 24 is more or less at a right angle to the arms 19 and 2%. Since that portion of front loop 16 adjacent to its apex 21 will bend both outward and downward, this rotation of the baby bottle 22 will cause the front loop 16 as a whole to move away from the rear loop 11 and that portion of the front loop 16 adjacent to its apex 21 to move both away from the rear loop 11 and downward. As a result, the resiliency of the wire-like material used for the bottle holder 10 urges the baby bottle 22 in a rotational direction opposite to the direction of its manual rotation.

Rotation of the bottle 22 in the opposite direction by the resiliency of bottle holder 19 is prevented by sliding the baby bottle 22 through the rear loop 11 under and against the rear loop 11 at and adjacent to its apex 18 and over and against the front loop 16 at and adjacent to its apex 21 until the bottom 23 of the baby bottle 22 engages a hook 2.5 which prevents the baby bottle 22 from rotating in the direction in which it is being urged by the resiliency of the front loop 16. This hook 25 is at the end of the hook member 17 which extends from the apex 18 of the rear loop 11 along the side and toward the bottom 23 of the rotated baby bottle 22 and then curves around the bottom 23 of the baby bottle 22 toward that side being engaged by the front loop 16. From the end of the hook member I 3 17, the hook 25 extends from the bottom 23 of the baby bottle 22 along the side of baby bottle 22 being engaged by the front loop 16. Thus, the hook 17 prevents rotation in response to the resiliency of the front loop 16 by serving as a stop.

Once inserted into the bottle holder in the manner described above, the baby bottle 22 is firmly held by the hook 25, the rear loop 11, and the front loop 16 because the front loop 16 is engaging the baby bottle 22 and urging it against the hook 25 and the rear loop 11 adjacent to the apex 18. Positioning of the baby bottle 22 in the bottle holder 10 is convenient and may be quickly accomplished since it simply involves inserting, rotating and sliding in the manner described above. It is apparent that removal is equally convenient and quick since it simply involves the reverse of these steps. The top 26 of the baby bottle 22 extends beyond the front loop 16 and the arms 19 and 20 extend down from the baby bottle 22 between the bottom 23 and top 26 of the baby bottle 22. Therefore, when the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 are placed on a surface, the bottle holder 10 and an inserted baby bottle 22 can be tilted so that either the top 26 or bottom 23 of the baby bottle 22 points downward toward the surface. When the bottom 23 of the baby bottle 22 is pointed downward, the bottle holder 10 will support the baby bottle 22 in a more or less upright position with only the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 and the hook member 17 resting on the supporting surface. Thus, the bottle holder 10 provides a means for resting the baby bottle 22 before and after use which is convenient, which will prevent the baby bottle 22 from tipping over, and which will prevent water or milk on the baby bottle 22 or the heat of the milk in it from marring furniture.

When the top 26 is pointed downward, the bottle holder 10 will support the baby bottle 22 in feeding position with the ends 27 of the arms 19 and resting on a surface and the nipple 24 in the babys mouth. Depending upon the distance between the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20, the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 will either rest on the babys chest or will extend down beside the babys chest. Preferably, the distance between ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 is such that the ends 27 will rest on the babys chest when the nipple 24 is in the babys mouth.

The bottle holder 10 is maintained in position on the babys chest by placing the folds of a conventional baby blanket on or across the babys chest. The ends 27 of the arms 19 and 2! will sink into the material of the blanket which will, in turn, restrict the movement of arms 19 and 20 both in a lateral manner off the babys chest and in a tilting manner toward and away from the babys mouth.

This restriction of the tilting motion of the bottle holder 10 resulting from the arms 19 and 20 gripping the material of the blanket between them is sufficient to prevent the baby from having to support significant weight at the nipple 24 because the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 26 are in approximately the same plane perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the baby bottle 22 as the center of gravity of the baby bottle 22 and because the arms 19 and 20 ar sufficiently short that a baby bottle 22 full of milk need be tilted only a small amount to place the nipple in the babys mouth and permit nonmal feeding. Thus, most of the weight of the baby bottle 22 is supported by the legs 19 and 2t? and the weight tending to further tilt the bottle toward the babys mouth is small.

When the amount of milk in the baby bottle 22 decreases as feeding progresses, the tilt of the baby bottle 22 may be increased by increasing the thickness of the blanket on the babys chest. With those newer type baby bottles 22 having colla sible inner chambers which prevent the baby from sucking air with milk, it is unnecessary to change the tilt of the bottle 22. In any event, the center of gravity and the weight of the baby bottle 22 is significantly shifted from a vertical plane through the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 towards the nipple 24 by tilting only when the baby bottle is approaching an empty condition and is no longer heavy.

This arrangement not only insures that the nipple 24 will be forced toward the babys mouth only by gentle pressure so as not to make the baby uncomfortable or interfere with feeding but it also insures that even the smallest baby may escape the nipple 24 by simply turning its head. Larger babies may actually move the baby bottle 22 and nipple 24 to and fromthemselves since they are only required to move a small amount of weight against the resistance offered by the folds of the blanket.

The figures show a bottle holder 10 adapted for use with the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 resting on the babys chest rather than beside it. When the bottle holder 10 is to be used in latter manner, the arms 19 and 20 must be longer and ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 must be further apart than when the bottle holder 10 rests on the babys chest. This permits the bottle holder 10 to extend down around the babys chest and the folds of a blanket placed across the babys chest.

However, when used in this manner, the ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20 rest on the blanket, the arms 19 and 20 grip the blanket on the babys chest between themselves and the babys chest, and the tilt and position of the baby bottle 22 relative to the babys chest and mouth are the same as when the baby bottle 22 rests on the babys chest. Therefore, when used with the ends 27 of arms 19 and 20 resting beside the babys chest, the bottle holder, 10 will possess the same advantages as when the ends 27 of arms 19 and 20 rest on the babys chest.

Regardless of the length of the arms 19 and 20 and the distance between ends 27 of the arms 19 and 20, the bottle holder 10 can be made from a piece of wire-like material by simply forming the hook 25 at one end of the material; then forming the hook member 17, the leg 12 of the rear loop 11, the leg 14 of the front loop 16, the leg 15 of the front loop 16, the leg 13 of the rear loop 11; and finally twisting the other end of the material about the hook member 17. Thus, the bottle holder 10, is easy and inexpensive to manufacture as well as being a highly useful device for holding a baby bottle while feeding a baby and for positioning the baby bottle 22 before and after feeding.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. A holder for a nursing bottle having a bottom and a top comprising, in combination, a rear loop having an apex and right and left legs extending from the apex so as to resemble a V; a front loop having an apex and right and left legs extending from the apex so as to resemble a V, said front loop being positioned so that the end of its left leg remote from its apex is adjacent and attached to that end of the left leg of the rear loop which is remote from its apex, and so that the end of its right leg remote from its apex is adjacent and attached to that end of the right leg of the rear loop which is remote from its apex; a hook member extending from the apex of the rear loop generally perpendicular to said rear loop and then in the same general direction as that in which the legs of the rear loop extend; and a hook extending from that end of the hook member remote from the. apex; said holder therefore being adapted to receive a nursing bottom to extend from bottom to top through;

the said rear loop, said bottle being engaged by those.

portions of the rear loop adjacent to the apex, engaged by those portions of said front loop adjacent to its apex:

but not passing therethrough, and engaged and held from pivotal movement about the apex of said rear loop by said book.

2. A holder for a nursing bottle having sides and a top comprising, in combination; a rear loop and a resilient front loop adapted to engage opposite sides of a nursing bottle to extend from bottom to top through bottle nearer to its top than the rear loop and so that the front loop is deformed by a nursing bottle and tends to rotate a nursing bottle about the rear loop; and a hook adapted to engage a nursing bottle on the same side as the front loop but more remote from the top of a nursing bottle than the rear loop so as to prevent the rotation of a nursing bottle by the resiliency of the front loop.

3. A holder for positioning a nursing bottle with respect to the mouth of a baby lying on its back in a prone position with the folds of a blanket on its chest comprising, in combination; a left arm having its lower end shaped to facilitate pivotal movement thereabout and positioned to engage folds of the blanket covering a right hand portion of a babys chest and a right arm having its lower end shaped to facilitate pivotal movement thereabout and positioned to engage folds of the blanket covering the left hand portion of a babys chest, both of said arms extending upward from a babys chest in the same plane generally perpendicular to the length of a baby; and means for positioning a nursing bottle between the left arm and the right arm with its lengthwise axis generally perpendicular to and its center of gravity in the said plane of the arms, whereby the nursing bottle and holder are pivotally movable about the lower ends of the left and right arms for properly positioning the nursing bottle with respect to the mouth of a baby.

4. A holder for positioning a nursing bottle with respect to the mouth of a baby lying on its back in a prone position with the folds of a blanket on both sides of and across its chest comprising, in combination; a left arm having its lower end shaped to facilitate pivotal movement thereabout and positioned to engage folds of a blanket on the right of a babys chest and a right arm having its lower end shaped to facilitate pivotal movement thereabout and positioned to engage folds of a blanket on the left of a babys chest, both of said arms extending upward and over a babys chest in the same plane generally perpendicular to the length of a baby; and means for positioning a nursing bottle between the left arm and the right arm with its lengthwise axis generally perpendicular to and its center of gravity in the said plane of the arms, whereby the nursing bottle and bolder are pivotally movable about the lower ends of the left and right arms for properly positioning the nursing bottle with respect to the mouth of a baby.

5. A nursing bottle holder formed of a single piece of wire bent approximately at its center to form an apex from which two first segments downwardly extend, each of said first segments return bent to form two upwardly extending second segments extending generally parallel to said first segments, the second segments twistedly connected and bent to extend in a direction generally perpendicular to said first and second segments and away from said first segments, then bent to extend downwardly and then toward said second segments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 666,227 Bradbury Jan. 15, 1901 1,481,166 Whisner Jan. 15, 1929 1,730,845 Ganson Oct. 8, 1929 2,481,773 Nelson Sept. 13, 1949 2,496,527 Forrest Feb. 7, 1950 2,542,694 Miller Feb. 20, 1951 2,648,513 Grotf Aug. 11, 1953 2,760,742 Alger Aug. 28, 1956 2,912,200 Reinhorn Nov. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 936,286 France Feb. 6, 1948 

1. A HOLDER FOR A NURSING BOTTLE HAVING A BOTTOM AND A TOP COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A REAR LOOP HAVING AN APEX AND RIGHT AND LEFT LEGS EXTENDING FROM THE APEX SO AS TO RESEMBLE A V; A FRONT LOOP HAVING AN APEX AND RIGHT AND LEFT LEGS EXTENDING FROM THE APEX SO AS TO RESEMBLE A V, SAID FRONT LOOP BEING POSITIONED SO THAT THE END OF ITS LEFT LEG REMOTE FROM ITS APEX IS ADJACENT AND ATTACHED TO THAT END OF THE LEFT LEG OF THE REAR LOOP WHICH IS REMOTE FROM ITS APEX, AND SO THAT THE END OF ITS RIGHT LEG REMOTE FROM ITS APEX IS ADJACENT AND ATTACHED TO THAT END OF THE RIGHT LEG OF THE REAR LOOP WHICH IS REMOTE FROM ITS APEX; A HOOK MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE APEX OF THE REAR LOOP GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID REAR LOOP AND THEN IN THE SAME GENERAL DIRECTION AS THAT IN WHICH THE LEGS OF THE REAR LOOP EXTEND; AND A HOOK EXTENDING FROM THAT END OF THE HOOK MEMBER REMOTE FROM THE APEX; SAID HOLDER THEREFORE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A NURSING BOTTOM TO EXTEND FROM BOTTOM TO TOP THROUGH THE SAID REAR LOOP, SAID BOTTLE BEING ENGAGED BY THOSE PORTIONS OF THE REAR LOOP ADJACENT TO THE APEX, ENGAGED BY THOSE PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT LOOP ADJACENT TO ITS APEX BUT NOT PASSING THERETHROUGH, AND ENGAGED AND HELD FROM PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE APEX OF SAID REAR LOOP BY SAID HOOK. 